Acclaim announces the official launch of
The Chronicles of Spellborn, the MMORPG they are calling a "Freemium" game,
as it has subscription fees, but also offers a free area. Here's word on how
that works, including a way to sample the premium area for free and a way to get
a discount by using Acclaim Coins:

Los Angeles, CA (April 23, 2009) –
Acclaim Games is pleased to announce the official release of The Chronicles of
Spellborn MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). To celebrate
the official launch, Acclaim will offer all players a free 2 week premium
subscription, along with the introduction of a new credit card payment option
for added convenience. With the official release, players are invited to join
the fun in one of the most innovative MMORPG’s on the market featuring a unique
real-time combat system that truly sets the game apart!

Acclaim now offers a new credit card payment option to easily purchase premium
subscriptions online using a major credit card! With the addition of this new
purchase option, players have the option of buying premium subscriptions with
either a major credit card or Acclaim Coins, the universal virtual currency used
for all Acclaim games. Those who purchase with Acclaim Coins can also take
advantage of the special introductory discount pricing, offered for a limited
time only.

To commemorate the release, a special launch promotion will be available from
April 23 to May 7 offering a FREE 2 week premium subscription for all new and
existing players giving everyone a chance to evaluate the game and experience
the unique real-time combat system of Spellborn. New players must register
between April 23 and May 7 to get the free subscription.

“We meet with the gamers every week to discuss Spellborn, they tell us the
fighting system is the most amazing thing about the game. The idea being that
your ‘moment-to-moment’ control during battle, mixed with your own custom skill
deck gives endless possibilities. To see a smart level 5 player take down a
level 15 player is something that SHOULD be possible in MMOs, and is something
that really good players deserve to be able to do!”, says David Perry the USA
Director for the Spellborn Project.

Once players download and install the game for free, they can choose between a
PvE (Player vs Environment) server called “Dorzhan” and a PvP (Player vs Player)
server called “Deiquonril” for a more intense combat experience.

In all regions, Spellborn will be a “Freemium” game, with a Free to Play zone
and a required premium subscription service in order to access the full game
past the Free to Play zone. The Spellborn game client is completely free to
download and install from the official website. For game updates check the
website http://spellborn.acclaim.com
or follow the Spellborn twitter at
http://twitter.com/tcos

I've been playing this one for a little while now, since the "open beta" started anyway. And I have to say, it's really quite different. The combat is significantly unlike the run of the mill "pick a target hit 5 4 1 2 1 2 1 2 5" strategy common to most of the MMO's out there. And even better is that the character mechanics are [finally] not the cookie cutter "party must have a tank, a nuker and a healer" approach that has been pretty universal since EQ.

For those two reasons alone, I find it worth subscribing. It's still a little rough around the edges (particularly in the networking layer), but a damned fine creative work.